Legends of the First-Born
by The Purple Templar
Summary: A young boy survives a terrible incident at his home and manages to escape into the forest where he encounters a mysterious gold orb... Will he return to exact his revenge?
1. Chapter 1: Bold Beginnings

**Legends of the First-Born**

_Chapter 1: Bold Beginnings_

Jacob groaned as sunlight filtered through his eyelids he stretched as they flickered open revealing dark chocolate tinted eyes. He ruffled his dark black hair and looked around. He snapped instantly awake as he realized his mom was already preparing breakfast! He fervently hoped he wasn't late. He jumped to his feet putting on his robes and flung open the heavy velvet curtains over his window and gazed over the castle courtyard, it belonged to a powerful nobleman of the realm. In your opinion and just about every other person's, he treated his subjects very badly. Your family was one of the much richer ones living in the castle for sanctity from the wild beasts that ruled the dark forest just outside the flat walls of stone that kept the castle safe. The peasants that were the unluckiest, the criminals, those who dared speak against the lord Arex, those who went against his decisions or attempted to resist his rule and simply those he didn't like were sentenced to the lumber gangs, the group of chained prisoners that are handed axes and told to head into the forest unguarded to attempt to fell trees and gather wood. Not many of them return safely. The reason all of this was flashing through Jacob's mind as he headed downstairs to the kitchen was that his father, who agreed with Jacob's view of Arex, had recently somehow managed to make an enemy of the ironhanded lord. Jacob's family had now been nearly tearing their hair out in panic, expecting castle guards to appear at their door.

His mother, Lisa, greeted him with a tired smile, her lack of sleep evident in the bags under her eyelids.

''Good morning Jacob, eat your breakfast please''

Jacob sat down and quietly ate. He paused while eating to greet his father, Mark, who'd just come down the stairs. Then they all froze, their eyes widening in fear asan ominous noise came from the door…

_KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK_

They all gulped nervously as Mark slowly rose from his seat and grabbed the sword lying in the corner. He unsheathed the gleaming well-kept blade as the knocking happened again, more insistently.

_KnockKnockKnock_

''Castle Guards! Open the door!''

That cleared up any doubt or hope about who it could be and his father nodded, hiding his sword as he gestured at Jacob to open the door. Jacob stepped nervously to the door, as he made to open it, he called out ''I'm coming'' to forestall any further attempts by the guards. He opened the door and glanced at the four men wearing the lord's colours and the insignia of his castle guard.

''Yes? Why must I put up with your presence at this hour?'' Jacob asked indifferently, trying to mask his fear.

''The Glorious Lord Arex has demanded your presence. You are to come with us at once!''

''What if we don't want to accompany you?''

''Then" said the guard gesturing at the other soldiers to draw their swords as he drew his own ''I guess we'll have to follow all the Lord's orders, you're coming with us! Wrists out or you'll feel my blade.''

At this moment Mark leaped at the guard bringing his sword down in an overhead swing. The guard rushed his sword up and barely managed to block it. The guard grunted but managed to hold due to his being in the prime of his life and Jacob's father being well past that. The guard pushed Mark back and advanced through the doorway allowing the other guards to flood into the house.

''Lisa!'' yelled Mark as he saw his wife try to run away but get grabbed by one of the guards who quickly tackled her to the ground, bound her wrists in steel chains and lead her outside, trusting his fellow guardsmen to be able to take care of the old man and his son. Mark grunted as he felt the weight of a guard land on his back, and his weakened legs gave as he collapsed to the ground, he did catch a glance at Jacob look helplessly at his already bound mother and his now bound father, he caught a nod from his father ans slipped quietly out of the house and started running.

''Wait, where's the boy!?'' yelled a guard as he finally realized Jacob's absence.

''Leave him, if the bears don't get him, the wolves will.'' Replied the leader of the small group

Jacob smiled grimly as he heard the guard's exclamation but frowned upon hearing the reply, the wild animals really were going to be a problem, right before he managed to get out of earshot, he heard one of the guards sneer at his chained parents ''it's life – or death'' he smiled darkly ''for you in the lumber gangs'' he finished. Tears started sliding down Jacob's cheeks as the buildup of emotion from the events of today, the possible fate of his parents and the task before him managed to break through his mental barrier. He finally arrived at the edge of forest and looked at it before taking a deep breath, wiping the tears off his face and stepped into the forest, a determined look on his face. He didn't know how he would free his parents or even how he was even going to survive, but he had to, for his parents, for himself and all the friends he had amongst the castle dwellers.

He panted as he ran through the alternating dark and bright green verdant shades of the forest and screeched to a stop as he saw a large male – probably an Alpha, a pack leader, by Jacob's reckoning – wolf glaring right at him. A flash of gold catches his eye as he turns nearly ignoring the imminent threat to see what possessed this unusual colour within the colour scheme of the forest. Jacob sees a small golden orb levitating slightly off the ground some ten meters from him. He hears the growl from the wolf which snaps his attention back to the imminent threat but before he can react the air around Jacob's body superheats to a barely bearable temperature and his vision goes black.

**A/N: Heya guys! First story here so lotsa reviews are indeed appreciated. I will attempt to upload a chapter every week or so especially if people seem to be reading my story. The Protoss will start soon enough so don't worry 'bout that. I play Protoss in fact (i like Dark Templar tho') ''We are the blades of Shakuras'' :D. Hopefully my writing was good enough that you guys were able to figure out that the ''golden orb'' is indeed a probe. Enough rambling from me though, enjoy the story ;D. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Starcraft II or any entities licensed by Blizzard inc. and associated with it. **


	2. Chapter 2: Khala Khonnections

_Chapter 2: Khala Khonnections_

Jacob groaned as he woke up for the second time that day though nowhere nearly as comfortably as earlier that morning. He opened his eyes and yelled out of alarm as he realized that the golden orb he'd seen before passing out was staring right at his face. He, instead of scrambling backwards, gazed mystified at the little glass circle on the front of the orb, his gaze caught by the rotating crystal within.

_Welcome to the Khala_

''wha- what?'' he looked around confused trying to find the source of the voice that was- no that was preposterous, it couldn't be in his head… could it?

_Indeed, we speak in your mind_

``who, or what are you?''

_Do you wish to save your parents and bring Arex to justice?_

''how do you know about them?''

_Until you have learned how to guard your thoughts we can unintentionally see your memories, through this we learned, needed to learn about the previous life of our soon to be new Executor of the Protoss on this planet for now and soon… perhaps… on other worlds…_

''hmm, what are these… Protoss?''

_They are a race, a race native to a world, much like yours known to its inhabitants as Aiur. The technology advanced far beyond the simple sharpened metal edges your people carry as weapons to blades made of pure energy as well as the ability to create the thunder that shakes the sky and massive mechanical creations beyond imagination heading to other worlds in the dark void of space. Your rank is now Executor, which means lord of the Protoss on your world._

''So, I get to lead them? And you still haven't told me who or what you are?''

_We are the Khala, the communal mind link shared by all Protoss and now that you are part of our race, you have the ability to access us, through your mind. Protoss are also very Psionic._

``Psionic? What does that mean?''

_You are for one, able to move and interact with physical objects as well as look through or hear the thoughts of another being. For now this is the extent_ _of your abilities until you have received more sophisticated instruction._

_Now, you must begin by setting up a base of operations for yourself and soon, with time, your army_

``hmm, alright so where do I begin?''

_The golden orb at your feet is a worker for the Protoss, a probe, it is mechanical and is able to store much information and execute precise scans with its core._

''The crystal inside? And what do I do with the ''probe?'' ''

_The crystal is known as a Khaydarin crystal and has special properties such as being able to absorb and emit psionic energies and thus is the base of the Protoss –a psionic race- technology_

_Now, use your mind, focus, and attempt to tell the probe to return to the secure valley with you_

''alright''

Jacob closed his eyes and focused on accessing the probe, there was a slight resistance then he felt it give and was able to see the capabilities of the probe. He wondered what warp meant.

_That will come in its own time_

He started, having forgotten that the Khala could read his thoughts

_We are not quite the Khala, we reside in it, we, to be precise are the souls of Protoss who have lost their physical bodies to age or war_

He decided philosophically shrugging as he did that if he had the help of these bygone Protoss, he might as well use it.

``I`ve accessed the probe`s interface, what am I supposed to do next?''

_Give it a mental command to lead you to the valley we spoke of_

''Um, alright'' He focused once more _alright probe, umm lead me to the valley, the secure one alright?_

The probe bobbed slightly and made a whirring sound of acceptance and started to move away. He followed it for several minutes until they reached a ridge of dirt overlooking the valley, as Jacob surveyed his new home_,_ he noted the thick tree cover bordering the valley and realized it was well hidden from sight. He ran after the probe as it moved down into the center of the valley next to a box in the distance, as he got closer he started making out details. He stopped and bent over panting as he struggled to catch his breath then he stood up and inspected the box it was a gold metal crate with blue flickering lines along it's edges and joints, he also noticed that it had a glowing number floating above the crate which as he got closer was able to make out the number 400.

''what's this?''

_Use your mind; use your psionic abilities to identify yourself to the crate, if you are an ally the crate will open_

Jacob stared at the crate as he felt the crate verify his identification, finally the top rose up, split in half and separated. Excited to see what was in store, he looked inside and saw the crate almost full of small blue crystals, and he didn't bother counting them t according to the number there was 400 of them.

_What are these? _He asked the spirits, scratching his head in confusion _are they Khaydarin? _He followed up.

_No, these, these are known as minerals, they are the main resource used by the Protoss to create their structures, weapons, armor and war machines. These particular 400 shall allow the probe to construct a microbeacon that when placed will allow the warp in of a Nexus. Warping is how we ''build'' if you will. It is built on our home planet and ''teleported'' across the stars to where the microbeacon has been placed._

''alright, I think I understand but what's a Nexus and why do I need one?''

_You have a throne room in the castle we believe?_

He nodded then said _Yes _as he realized that the spirits couldn't exactly see him

_It is the center of your settlement as the Nexus shall be the center of ours, it serves the same basic needs as well as… that does not require explanation, that you can learn on your own._

''Well, guess I need a Nexus''

He called over the probe and instructed it to warp in a Nexus at the very center of the valley. The probe responded by floating over to the open mineral crate and floating out all of them! Then it merged them all into several tiny white boxes which it placed in a circle and then zapped it with a small amount of electricity which startled Jacob with the ease it had handled some of the energy which shook the sky on stormy days. The miniature boxes leapt into the air and merged into a small black hole floating in the air, he sat down and looked up, the sun had reached noon already and he decided to wait, gazing into the opening warp rift and became lost in his own thoughts.

**A/N: Thank you Alucard! First review :D. If you want to add a character send me a suggestion, and i'll see if I can incorporate it. Please guys, reviews are very helpful**

**We'll be seeing some Protoss action in Chapter 3 ;). Oh and this chapter is up early because I wasn't too busy and found some spare writing time.**


	3. Chapter 3: Pylon Power

_Chapter 3: Pylon Power_

He came back to his senses out of his stupor as a _whoosh vwoom_ sound indicated to him as the Nexus completed. The material condensed into a pyramid shaped structure with blue power lines and power wells activating all over the golden plated exterior of the Nexus, the graceful flowing architecture topped by a giant floating blue crystal. Jacob gazed at it in awe, never before had he seen architecture of this level or style.

_Welcome to your new home_

''I get to live here!?'' he babbled rubbing his hands out of sheer excitement

_Indeed you do_

He walked up as part of the wall near the base of the Nexus phased out of existence in deference to his rank and phased back in behind him as he stepped into his very own center of operations.

_The Nexus itself has four levels, the bottom level, that which you are currently standing in, is the probe facilities, the floor above is the warp command, the third are your private quarters and the uppermost level is known as the energy core._

He gazed around at the ''Probe Facilities'' realizing that there were 5 smaller structure inside that looked like empty ponds with a droopy heron above it.

_These are the Probe facilities, they will allow you to warp in more of the probes much like the one you already possess_

Jacob nodded, eager to explore his new home. ''How do I get from floor to floor?'' he wondered

_Simply command the floor to open, as you are Executor, it will obey_

He closed his eyes and focused on the Nexus, instantly being able to feel the integrity of the Nexus; it also stated that the shields were online? He filed the information away for later. He commanded the Nexus to allow him entry to the next floor. He gazed around still in awe as a circular hole in the ceiling above him parted to allow him entry to the Warp Command. He gazed at the large dark ball hanging in stasis in the centre of the chamber as well as the one way windows which allowed him to observe what was going on outside the Nexus.

''so this is the Warp Command? What can I do here?''

_It will allow you to keep tabs on your growing empire, as well as initiate multiple commands which will become more apparent as we continue; the one function of use to you currently would be the ability to order the warp-in of structures._

''Interesting, what's this ball do?'' he asked curiously turning to look at the floating ball in the center of the chamber.

_This is for your personal usage; it will allow you to teleport yourself to an external psionic matrix field, more commonly known as a psi-field._

''I have to build these psi-fields right?''

_You do indeed_

''So how do I do it?''

_Normally, you would require minerals but the probe has not been able to detect any upon or underneath the surface for this area, however we have come upon another possibility, we shall rejoin you once you have reached the energy core level to explain._

Jacob commanded the Nexus to move him up another floor to his personal quarters and gasped in surprise as he saw his personal quarters, he was rather sure even Arex didn't have chambers this luxurious because _everything_ was plated in gold and glowing blue. A grin broke out on Jacob's face as he realized he'd sleep well tonight and advanced to the fourth and final floor still dreaming about his chambers. He snapped back to reality as he arrived at the energy core level. The floor was narrow, obviously occupying the very apex of the Nexus. There were large Khaydarin crystals floating in between walkways emanating a soft blue glow.

''What do these do?''

_These are Khaydarin crystals which possess the capacity to store Psionic energy which you due to being a psionic generate and store overtime. We have discovered that this energy can be stored in the energy core and used as a substitute for minerals. Store the psionic energy you have built up in the core._

Jacob focused on his own mind, **150 energy**. He smiled as he focused on an empty crystal that told him it had a capacity for 1000 energy and watched as it quickly rose to 150/1000 and the particular crystal glowed brighter.

''how much energy can I store here?''

_There are 100 crystals, therefore 100,000 energy_

''my gosh!''

_Now to advance. You do not require probes just yet for there is nothing to mine but your mind creates this energy rather slowly so you must warp in a pylon. It is a large Khaydarin crystal with a metal band around it. It generates psionic energy and emits a psionic energy matrix field around it that is required to power all Protoss structures other than a Nexus._

''alright, how much does it cost?''

_Normally 100 minerals but in this case 100 energy._

Jacob exited the Nexus and commanded the probe to warp in the pylon

''where exactly should I warp it in?''

_Approximately 6 metres from the Nexus should be sufficient_

''okay''

He began the process of warping in the pylon and watched mystified as vapor flowed from the Nexus crystal to the probe which then went through the same procedure as it did to warp in the Nexus. He sat down again and watched the warp rift open as he waited for the pylon to complete. He gazed upwards noting the position of the sun to be about mid-afternoon. As he shifted his gaze to the warp rift he noticed that the pylon had completed, a large crystal with a metal band surrounding it at its midpoint and the entire construction levitating slightly above ground.

''alright, it's done''

_Good, you must now assign your probe to this pylon to allow it to transfer the energy generated by the pylon and store it in the Nexus for use, this will allow you to gather energy faster. _

He focused on the probe once more and instructed it to tend to the pylon. The probe then began traveling between the Nexus and the pylon to transfer the generated energy.

_You must now begin a Gateway, the basic structure for warping in warriors. This will require 150 energy and a psi-field such as the one your pylon emits. The gateway can warp in the basic warrior of our race, the Zealot. You will also have to prove your worth before the Zealot consents to being warped in to serve alongside you and the Gateway is simply the way to allow the Zealot to travel to your planet._

''Alright, so I can soon start my military?''

_You can indeed_

He raised his head as something he noted that he'd wanted to ask came back to him

''What are shields? I've noticed that the Nexus and the probe have it and I would assume the pylon does too''

_Shields are energy fields and serve much the same purpose as the metal shields your home castles' warriors carry, to serve defensively in combat. They recharge over time and are created by focusing psionic energy, yours is not yet potent enough to support one but soon with training in combat you will._

He focused on the Nexus and found the Nexus had 100 energy and he had **50 energy **of his own which totalled to 150. He summoned the probe instructing it to begin the gateway within the psi-field and then to return to the pylon. He decided then, as his eyelids started dropping from exhaustion, that he may as well try out the bed in his quarters as he took a nap while waiting for the gateway.

**A/N: A'ight guys, whadda ya think? I have indeed come up with a substitute for minerals and a respect system (proving himself worthy to gain the consent of a Zealot to serve alongside him :)**

**There will not be Psi Limits (no more ''You must build additional pylons!'') :D**

**And I will be very unorthodox, using other units ****(reavers return!) **and he'll probably meet the Nerazim (dark templar) much later. 

**He'll get combat training soon too ;)**

**Reviews are obviously appreciated**

_**Adun Toridas**_


	4. Chapter 4: Weapon Work

_Weapon Work_

His eyes snapped open as he woke up from his dreamless nap and sat up in bed, he drifted into the shower squealing in pain as the unfamiliar controls resulted in him being hit by a flurry of scalding hot water. He stepped out in his new robes and sighed, he hadn't felt clean in days. His stomach rumbled as he patted it.

''Uh oh, where am I going to find food?''

_You will have to hunt, for that you will require combat training_

''What weapon am I going to get to use?''

_It is known as a psi-blade and is the basic weapon of the Protoss legions however we do not have one nor the expertise to create it. However, we have discovered that the gateway can warp in beings other than warriors so perhaps if you were to warp in a weapon smith with the necessary expertise they could forge you a weapon, of course they would also require a workstation so you may wish to warp in a forge._

He checked the energy available to him **250 energy**. He smiled and summoning the probe ordered the construction of the forge draining 150 from his storages. He headed towards the gateway to begin the warp in of the weapon-smith form the gateway. His eyes widened in surprise and excitement as he witnessed the gateway activating for the first time since it had completed. The crystal floating within disappeared and blue light began pulsing through the power lines on the inner surface of the elegant golden arch. He looked around and decided he had nothing pressing to do at the moment.

_We can begin your mental training_

''How is this going to work?'' He scratched his head, clearly confused.

_First of all, we require a quiet place_

''I should head into the forest then?''

_Indeed_

He moved up the edge of the valley treading the same path he had that fateful afternoon and headed into the thick tree cover enjoying the dappled sunlight on his upturned face. He sighed contently as he stepped into a small quiet clearing.

''Will this do?''

_Indeed, you must now close your eyes and focus your energy until you have condensed it into a small orb inside yourself_

He closed his eyes and focused and felt all his power condense into a small dense orb of energy inside himself.

_The basics of your abilities will rely on your ability to focus this energy in combat. To become proficient with it you must see without sight, feel without touch, sense without sound and most importantly strike without warning._

His brows furrowed and he frowned as he wondered why there was a small patch of energy floating around.

_It is the energy of_ _another living creature, focus and identify it without sight_

He focused harder until the familiarity of the shape provided the answer. ``a squirrel`` he whispered without breaking his concentration nor opening his eyes

_Well done, now allow a small portion of the energy inside you flow into your hand and manifest._

He loosened his mental grip on the mental energy and allowed some of it to flow down his arm and collect in his hand. In his mental vision he could see the soft blue glow and sense the warm energy it emitted.

_Now, will your new projectile to fly true and allow your mind to aim for you until you feel fit to release the projectile at the creature._

His focus wavered uncertainly for a moment resulting in the psionic energy to fluctuate momentarily before he regained his concentration and controlled the energy. He realized the Khala were asking him to kill a living creature and the uncomfortability of this notion had weakened his focus, thankfully it hadn`t failed him completely. He focused again on the situation at hand and focusing on the squirrel`s energy, let loose with his projectile. He opened his eyes just in time to see the squirrel`s smoking body fly through the air and hit one of the trees at the edge of the clearing. He rushed over to the body and picked it up, it was lightly scorched and judging by the glazed over look in its eye it was most certainly dead.

_Normally we would not condone such an action however it was necessary for the purpose of your instruction and to nourish you._

With a sigh he picked up the semi-fried, dead squirrel and started back for his base which he had taken to calling Sanctity. He glanced at the gateway as he returned to the familiarity of his base, Sanctity. He hurried to the Nexus to leave the squirrel in the small modified kitchen in the Nexus and returned to the gateway as he saw the blue, translucent form that indicated the warp-in was about to complete. He stood around waiting as the blue form condensed into a solid Protoss being wearing a loincloth and light golden plating. The Protoss stepped forward and sank to one knee in deference to Jacob's rank.

''So you are a Protoss?'' he queried curiously running his eyesight up and down the intimidating frame supported by the muscular digitigrade reverse-jointed legs.

''Indeed I am, I am known as An'drax and am a very skilled weapon-smith for my people and I have decided to serve you'' the Protoss now known as An'drax replied as he rose to his feet.

An'drax looked around Jacob as he heard the particular sound of a structure successfully warping in.

``_Is that a forge?''_ he queried his eyes widening in delight

''Indeed it is, I understand you prefer to work in forges?'' replied Jacob

''_Yes, I do and it will increase the speed and efficiency with which I can serve you Executor_'' he answered excitedly

An'drax seemed fit to burst as he itched to run into forge, the oblong oval shaped structure with the arch at one end that was covered in the customary gold plating and edged with the blue power lines pulsating with the psionic matrix energy emitted by the pylon. But before he could run off to his new forge he had to ask ''what would you have me begin immediately Executor?''

''A psi-blade please An'drax is necessary right now''

''_As is your wish Executor_'' Affirmed the Protoss weapon smith as he ran off to the forge to immediately begin work on the psi-blade his Executor wanted determined to serve him as best he could.

**A/N: Hey readers, the fourth chapter is complete and the fifth has begun. So has the action ;)**

**Keep Reviewing!**

_**Adun Toridas!**_


	5. Chapter 5: Blue Blade

_Blue Blade_

Jacob gazed at the forge still mulling over the new weapon-smith he had at his command, An'drax. He decided he wanted to practice the psionics the Khala had taught him in the forest but not before he had some food. He ran back to the Nexus and flew up the floors until he arrived at his personal quarters; he stepped into the kitchen and smiled at the prepared squirrel. He sat down and enjoyed the meal while simply gazing out the window. He felt a bit lonely, wanting the safe return of his parents but he knew that if he didn't prepare properly and carefully then it wouldn't work. So he went out to the forest and killed some time, shooting away at the trees until he became proficient enough to perform it near instantly. He smiled at his newfound weapon ''let's see their shields block this'' went through his mind as he examined the slightly scorched bark of the pine tree he'd just hit when a message flew into his mind.

_''I require your presence at the forge''_

He turned back immediately; recognizing the speaker's energy to be that of An'drax's, and hurried to Sanctity. Panting he stopped at the door to the forge set on the end of the oblong structure beneath the arch. He ordered the door to open and caught his breath as the gold gilded doors slid open soundlessly. He stepped in and lost his breath again as his jaw dropped in awe of the instruments and tools inside the forge. There were half complete bits and pieces floating in anti-gravity along the walls above circular golden bordered blue repulsor plates. And tools set into racks being sharpened and maintained by robotic systems. He stepped in forward finding An'drax near the other end of the forge, bent over his workbench, concentrating as he furiously worked away at the psi-blade that Jacob had requested him to make.

''What is it An'drax?"

_''I cannot work on your psi-blade if I must continuously stop to allow the forge to recharge, for it requires energy and the singular pylon is not sufficient.''_

''I will begin some more pylons immediately, you may return to work as soon as the forge has sufficient energy income"

Jacob walked to the Nexus and checked the energy, the Nexus indicated it had 150 energy but his mind had none.

_Your abilities will consume the energy your mind generates and so you will have to rely on other forms of generation. _

''Ah, okay, so it really is time I got another pylon''

He summoned the probe over and instructed it to begin a pylon and make sure the Nexus began the second probe, assign the second probe to the second pylon and return to his gathering. He added as an afterthought ''Make sure the psi-fields from the new pylon and the pre-existing one don't overlap alright?"

The probe bobbed in agreement and floated off to carry out its instructions.

He decided to head back into the forest and keep practicing with his psi-ball as he'd taken to calling it. He arrived in the forest and decided to go a little farther in to explore what was around his base. He trekked inwards through the trees when he suddenly froze and ducked behind a tree. He heard the guardsman call out again.

''How much longer are we supposed to be out here? This place gives me the creeps and it's not even sundown yet.''

''Just do your job, you know we're supposed to find that Jacob boy and bring him back to camp or else…'' replied the sergeant in charge of the patrol.

Jacob smiled as he realized that Arex was actually searching for him but frowned, hoping the patrols wouldn't discover his base camp. He snuck away from the patrol and ran back to base also noticing that night had begun to fall.

He arrived safely at Sanctity and night finally fell covering the base in darkness. Almost immediately Jacob heard the howling call of a wolf. He turned around and saw the large male wolf heading straight for him, convinced it had found a meal. Jacob forced himself to focus, not sure if he could do this, and then sighed in relief as the blue ball flew out of his hand and hit the wolf right in the snout. The wolf growled in pain and jumped backwards as the psi-ball exploded in its face burning the sensitive muzzle badly. It advanced again, thoroughly angered now, when another psi-ball from a much more confident Jacob hit the wolf's knee, knocking it down. Jacob advanced forward putting a hand on the side of the wolf's head and fired off a third blast at point-blank range to finish the beast off. He looked upwards noticing three more wolves advancing and Jacob, through his newfound confidence, realized he couldn't beat three at once. He turned around and ran back to the forge.

''An'drax!'' He yelled as the doors of the forge slid open

_''What is it you require Executor?''_

''I need that psi-blade now! There are wolves outside!''

_''You are just in time then, for I have finally finished your psi-blade''_

''Good, can I use it?''

_''Yes, simply focus your energy and allow it to flow in to the igniter and the blade will activate''_

He absorbed the instructions of the khala as An'drax handed him a heavy golden wrist band and fitted an emitter on to it. The psi-blade apparatus re-weighted itself to fit Jacob's balance and he looked it over. He'd heard the guardsmen talk about the difference a well-balanced blade made and he finally realized what they'd meant. He focused some of his energy into the igniter and the blue blade erupted out of the igniter with a sharp _xhzoom _and extended past his wrist and over his hand. Jacob smiled as he inspected the new weapon.

_Your probes are under attack!_

He panicked as he ran outside to deal with the wolves before they destroyed a probe. The probe floated away in alarm as the wolves jumped at it, their claws and teeth bouncing off the blue shield that flashed into visibility momentarily as they weakened from the repeated wolf attacks. Jacob took this all in as he ran to intercept the wolves before they damaged the probe. He dove into an attack as he called on the swordsmanship skills he had learned in his days in the castle. He sliced the forelegs off the first wolf and intercepted the second one mid-jump slicing its snout in half. He brought the blade down in the third wolfs back wedging it deep within the flesh. He pulled the blade out and sighed as he realized he'd won. He turned and saw the first wolf whimpering in pain and the second one dead. He stepped over and quickly slit the throat of the first wolf to end its misery. He realized the blade cauterized as it cut, so no blood. He kept his blade lit as he sat down quietly and watched the stars as more and more nocturnal animals awoke and began to hunt for food.

**A/N: Hey guys :) Extra-Long quick chapter for my readers :D**

**Lotsa fight scenes here, tell me how I did. **

**The coloured Italicized is An'drax, black is Khala**

**Reviews are appreciated**

**Tell me if he should practice more melee or psionic? (melee will lead him to becoming a Dark Templar and psionics will lead to High Templar) your choice ;)**

_**Adun Toridas**_


	6. Chapter 6: Resources Required

_Resources Required_

Jacob looked up at the sky as dawn broke over the horizon. He sighed and got up and headed towards the Nexus, deactivating his psi-blade as he went up to his chambers and took a shower. He headed back down feeling fresher. On the way he checked the Nexus energy stores, 300 energy. He wondered what he could do with it and reasoned that An'drax would know. He headed over to the forge and stepped in.

''An'drax?'' he called out in the golden expanses of the structure

_''Yes, Executor?''_

''I have 300 energy and wanted to know what the next step is''

_''You must obtain a cybernetics core''_

''What is its purpose?''

_''Robotics''_

''Robotics?'' he asked, unfamiliar with the term

_''Yes, the cybernetics core will allow me to use the information and tools within to create advanced machinery; the probe is simply an example of basic machinery''_

''Interesting'' he muttered distractedly, running the possibilities through his mind. ''alright, let's do it.''

The probe collected 150 energy and began the warp in sequence. As the warp rift opened Jacob spent some time studying the forge. ''So, An'drax, what are you working on right now?

_''A possibility I have discovered if it were to succeed would offer many possibilities''_

''can I know what it is you're working on?''

_''That will remain hidden until it is complete''_

He decided to ask if he could have a map

_''The Nexus will store this information and will be accessible by allies at any time in the Warp Command''_

``Good then, I`m going to go explore and see how the land lies, I should be back_–_``

_Executor! Aiur has been attacked!_

Jacob could tell the Khalai Spirits were rather panicking

''the Protoss homeworld?'' he asked, hoping to he refresh his memory

_Yes, we have received reports that the construction facilities are offline_

``there isn't anything we can do to help is there?'' he asked dejectedly, feeling supposedly useless.

_No, we do not have a method of interstellar travel yet nor the forces to make a difference_

''why do the construction facilities being offline concern us?'' he wondered aloud, the confusion evident in his voice

_Because, due to the emergency shutdown, we cannot warp in structures or beings anymore, we will have to produce our own materials. The energy from the Nexus will no longer be sufficient to produce the necessary materials to truly BUILD the structure instead of simply warping it here from Aiur._

He slammed his palm against his forehead he yelled ''The Cybernetics Core!'' in sudden panic as he remembered the structure only having been halfway through the warp. He rushed outside and sighed in relief as he saw the new circular structure completed and positioned right next to An'drax's forge. Still mulling over the serious problem at hand, he stepped into the cybernetics core, gazing at the exterior. In appearance it reminded him of his mother's circular tart tins with some leaves attached to one end. He stepped inside and looked all around the open space inside. He noticed all the advanced machinery set into the walls and the large semi-golden, semi-crystal pillar in the middle. He found An'drax feverishly searching through something on a holographic screen projected from the central pillar. Jacob walked up, ''how does that work?'' he asked pointing at the holographic screen, having never seen it before.

_''It is like your lantern light, much more advanced and changed into a screen that levitates in mid-air''_ replied the scientist as he rushed into one of the circular labs on the inside separated by force fields instead of walls.

''ah, so the circular sections on the outside are probably these cells inside.'' Jacob figured while he walked up to one of the force fields and pressed a hand against it, watching as the energy rippled outwards from the point of contact. ''What are these?'' he asked, his hand still pressed against the energy wall

_''They are walls constructed of energy; the energy was remodeled to assume this shape''_

''so what do we do now?'' Jacob finally asked, rubbing his neck

_''Stop disturbing me perhaps''_

Jacob sensed the acidity of the statement and decided to leave the aspiring weapon-smith to his devices as he headed outside searching for something to occupy himself with. He decided to train with his psi-blade calming himself with the fluid, humming rhythm as he jabbed the blade again and again into the soft timber of the trees that surrounded his training clearing.

_Come now, An'drax wishes to speak with you_

Jacob stepped back from the tree he had just finished mutilating, deactivating his psi-blade and wiping the sweat off his forehead as he turned around and started back along the path to Sanctity. He took a breath of fresh air as he arrived at the base of the valley before heading for the forge. He looked around inside and spotting An'drax, headed towards him. As he neared the enigmatic weapons-smith he saw what looked like a small golden tub with blue energy rippling systematically inside as three stubs jutted out of the base and a large golden ball that was floating above the golden tub.

''what's this then?''

_''I have divided my time between my project and development and advancement in general, I have noticed that you are the single defender of this camp and not even you can hold off much more than a pack of wolves. To resolve this issue, using the hardware and information in the cybernetics core, I created this to aid you in your defense.''_

''how does it work?''

_''It fires a small projectile of condensed anti-matter, the opposite of all existing objects and creatures, at a target, upon striking the target it will shatter instantly destroying whatever the projectile struck.''_

''wow'' was Jacob's reply, his voice betraying how impressed he was.

_''Very powerful and therefore costly to produce, we cannot simply send the schematics to Aiur and warp in the finished product; we will have to produce the materials ourselves''_

''Then how'd you make this one?''

_''The cybernetics core possessed enough of the necessary components to allow me to assemble only one. You may use this operational one but it must be place in a psi-field''_

''Alright, wait'' he said turning around to face An'drax ''what's it called?''

_''Photon Cannon''_

He stepped outside the forge.

_Head to the Warp Command, it is time to utilize one of its functions_

Jacob headed up to the second floor of the Nexus: the Warp Command.

_Go to the interface_

He walked up as the screen activated and projected the holographic display; he looked over the information and realized it showed all the structures he possessed and their status.

_Instruct the photon cannon to shift into warp mode_

He selected the photon cannon and instructed the structure to shift into warp mode. He watched through the one-way windows as a stream of blue energy flowed out through the forge walls, through the Nexus walls and come to rest orbiting the dark ball in the center of the Warp Command.

_Activate psi-field view_

As Jacob activated psi-field view he saw a grid of hexagons appear that centred his pylons and extended in a circle around it, weakening as it neared the edges.

_Now you may instruct the photon cannon to manifest within a psi-field_

He got the photon cannon to manifest near the front of the psi-fields. He watched, fascinated, as the stream of blue energy flowed away from the dark ball, through the Nexus walls and land on the indicated spot. He watched as the energy solidified into the recognizable shape of the photon cannon form the ground up finishing as it completed the head. The photon cannon now completed, Jacob noticed some white arrows showing in a circle, centred on the cannon.

_This is the effective range of the photon cannon_

Jacob shook his head in wonder of this alien technology

_These views such as psi-field view and range indicators will only work in a Warp Command as it is overlaid on the holographic display._

He nodded his understanding and finally decided to go up another floor and take a nap for he had nothing to occupy himself with. Just before dropping off to sleep he issued the order

''Wake me, if An'drax discovers anything''

_Understood_

**A/N: Uh-oh, *facepalms* I just realized that text colour doesn't show. If you guys want me to, I'll go edit it in a different way to separate the Khalai Spirits and An'drax's psionic chatter. If you guys have any good ideas on how to separate the two and eventually many more characters, then either review it to me or send me a PM.**

**To make up for this and taking a while to get this up, you guys can read the 400 extra words I put in ;D**

_**ADUN TORIDAS**_


	7. Chapter 7: Steel Search

_Steel Search_

_Awaken Executor_

Jacob's eyes snapped open; he stood up and dressed in the same robe then headed downstairs ''for what reason have you awoken me?''

_An'drax has discovered something he wishes to speak to you about_

''alright'' he answered as he arrived on the ground floor and stepped out into the cool evening air and began making his way to the forge. He paused as he arrived at the forge, and then stepped inside automatically searching for An'drax. Not finding him he paused for a moment then smiling at his foolishness stepped outside and headed towards the cybernetics core. He stepped into the much more advanced structure and saw An'drax in one of the circular chambers.

''An'drax, you've discovered something?'' He asked, stepping in through the gap in the force field

''_Correct, I have been seeking a solution to our resource crisis and have discovered a process with which I can transmute your metals into the plating and metal we require, or course this would consume some energy and we will have to conserve it carefully for we cannot warp in additional pylons anymore'' _explained the weapon smith

''hmm, what sort of metal might you require?''

''_I believe it is known as steel, however you should note that the metal must be of high enough quality to survive the process and still be useful. Bring anything else you can obtain, perhaps I can transmute some of the more complex parts we require''_

''So how are we going to find the metal we need?''

''_The ore underground is too raw and steel is not an ore anyway. The only way to obtain steel would be a blacksmith-''_

Jacob cut him off in an incredulous tone ''you mean I have to go back to the castle?!''

''_Perhaps I should go with you?''_

''NO! Then the guards will never let us in, but I need money too''

''_Perhaps we could sell the wolves you killed as meat and pelt''_

''you kept those?''

''_Of course, It may have ended up being useful'' _An'drax answered smugly

Jacob considered his options, it would be risky to go in because of the guards recognized him there was no way he was leaving the castle free, but they needed the metal to advance and if they didn't get what they needed then they'd never take over the castle anyways. He came to a decision.

He walked out of sanctity with a large canvas bag loaded with the surprisingly well cleaned wolf steaks as well as the cleaned and tanned pelts. He'd also had the foresight to change back into the clothes he'd worn during his life at the castle to avoid the questioning from the guards as to why he was wearing a robe in the forest. Just to be safe he had also brought his psi-blade tucked beneath his sleeve and reviewed his psi-ball attack with the spirits. He'd prepared as best as he could've and hoped fervently nothing went wrong. ''I hope I'm ready'' He said and started towards his old home. He stopped inside the tree line just out of sight of the sentries. He composed himself and stepped up to the gate, pulling his hood down as he went to conceal his identity. He had no doubt his appearance and information had been circulated amongst the guards and if they recognized him, he would be arrested and sentenced to the lumber gangs. He walked by the village outside the castle walls, ignoring the villagers as best he could to avoid drawing attention. He stepped up to the sentries that guarded the gate in to the castle courtyard

''good morning, sirs'' Jacob began, injecting respect into his voice

''good morning to you too sir, on what business have you come here?'' replied one of the sentries

''I intend to conduct some business in the market, I have'' he hefted the sack ''some wolf here that I hunted''

''you'll need to take your hood off so we can see you before we allow you into the castle'' said one of the guards, he shifted slightly alleviating some of the ache in his cold feet, he'd been standing guard since the early hours of the morning and the metal point on a wooden broomstick the armoury called a spear was not exactly light by any means nor was it good quality. Either way, he really wanted to get off duty and return home to eat and sleep.

Jacob smiled as he guessed the man's thoughts, he had timed this right and there was nothing a little bit of bribery couldn't do. He leaned closer to the guards and said ''I was never here and I never went in but somehow you two got a nice juicy wolf steak to enjoy off-duty''

The guards thought for a moment weighing the possibility of getting caught by the captain of the guard against a large, high quality wolf steak with its appealing thought amplified by the guards' cold feet and empty stomachs.

''alright, we'll let you in and we never saw you, alright?''

Jacob simply nodded and pulled out two large bundles of leaves and handed one each to the guards and stepped past them, into the courtyard.

He wandered along the cobbled streets looking for the market. He finally spotted the tops of the colourful booths above the roofs and headed there immediately. As he arrived, he spied an empty booth and headed towards it, releasing the considerably weighty bag from his shoulder with a relieved sigh. He read the parchment pinned to the countertop and realized the market taxman would check every hour and charged 20 ticks per hour for occupying the booth. Jacob realized he'd have to be successful in selling enough just so he could pay the rent for the booth let alone high-quality steel. He spent the next 10 minutes unpacking the canvas bag and setting up shop as he hung the pelts from the top of the booth and arranged the packaged salted meat on the counter, he'd set the prices on a whim for he had only the faintest idea about how much any of it was actually worth and that experience had come from the few times he'd gone to market with his father. He rolled up the curtain when he was ready to sell. He reflected on his situation and realized ''this is going to be a long day'' and settled in comfortably as he waited for his first customer.

**A/N: Alright, here's a pretty early chapter.**

**Personally I'm pretty proud of the sentry bribery part but keep reviewing guys ;)**

**Sorry guys, yes even _I_ can see how slow the past few chapters have been and hopefully that will end now as the real action takes off**

**Suggestion's are also accepted and thank you guys for your support :)**

**we hit 1000 view's :D**

_**ADUN TORIDAS**_


	8. Chapter 8: Thief Trouble

_Thief Trouble_

Jacob smiled satisfactorily as he counted and totaled his profit to 3 marks. This was going much better than he'd expected, it was almost the end of the first hour and he'd only sold half his merchandise. He looked up as a customer walked past, picking up a wolf steak and leaving 50 ticks on the counter. He added those to his tally and promised himself he would get a proper money bag as he dropped them into his pocket. He looked up as he the market taxman walked into the market flanked by a pair of armed guards in either side and realized the first hour was up. He sighed, pulling out 20 ticks and putting them on the edge of the counter and resting his hand lightly on top of them so nobody got any wise ideas about grabbing it. He watched solemnly as the guards pulled a man out of his booth and dragged him out, crying and grovelling. The taxman walked up to Jacob's booth and as Jacob removed his hand from the money and the taxman's moved closer to collect it he hesitated then glanced momentarily at the hooded character behind the counter.

''Have I seen you before?'' He asked imperiously, his arrogance evident.

''No, you have not'' Jacob's reply was firm as he hid the nervousness climbing up his throat.

''hmm'' the taxman turned to the guards and conferred with them quickly.

''are you sure you do not have an identity that would rather remain… hidden?'' he asked, suspicion creeping into his voice.

''No, I am sure I am perfectly fine and that you have never seen me before'' replied Jacob, trying to ignore the sweat sliding down his forehead.

''alright…'' muttered the taxman, clearly not convinced as he picked up the money and turned to the guards already walking out of the market.

Jacob sighed in relief as wiped the sweat off his face and relaxed again, settling in until he'd sold everything. He totalled his profit and his face broke into a satisfied grin as he counted 10 marks. He got up and stretched groaning in relief as he eased the tension of sitting in one spot for almost two hours. He stepped out of the booth and walked deeper into the market aiming to buy a money bag to keep his coins safe for the thievery was rife in the castle and the surrounding village; he also had to pay a visit to the blacksmith to obtain the steel An'drax had requested. He now strolled along the market, checking the stalls to find what he was looking for, finally, he stopped and headed for a nearby stall and bought a money bag for 1 mark to keep his money safe for the money bag was made from a reinforced fabric that was impervious to knives unlike pockets which could be cut open and emptied. He poured the rest of his fortune into the bag and tied it to his belt so no one got any smart ideas about grabbing it. He turned left on a small side street that he knew led to the blacksmith's hopefully without coming face to face with a guard. Jacob finally arrived at the metal door that served as the entrance to the blacksmith's forge; this thought brought a smile to his face as he thought of the Protoss forge back at sanctuary, similarly named, much different level of technology. He rattled the knocker on the door and stood back, hoping the blacksmith hadn't closed for the day. His prayers were answered as a burly, bearded man opened the door.

''yeah, whadda ya need?'' he asked politely

''umm… I'd like to purchase steel ingots, if you have them?'' he answered

The blacksmith rubbed the back of his neck, then continued ''I'll check if I've any, come 'nside in the meantime''

Jacob stepped inside and sat down on a chair, relaxing and watching as the blacksmith stepped into a different room and stepped back in grasping a heavy iron key, he slid this into a safe set into the wall and swung the door open. Jacob made out stack after stack of ingots of various metals and several smaller safes inside just before the blacksmith shut it with a dull clang.The blacksmith walked over and nodded in affirmation.

''yup, was right mah guess, I got some steel''

''how much is it?''

''a mark per ingot is what I'm gonna charge ye''

''that's alright, I'll buy eight ingots then please'' he decided, pulling out eight of the heavy silver mark coins, leaving him with a single of the coins.

The blacksmith nodded handing him eight refined steel bars I exchange for the marks. Jacob nodded his thanks and put the weighty ingots into the canvas sack he'd brought with him and headed out of the blacksmith's. He wondered how he was going to escape the castle courtyard and he became lost in his thoughts as he wandered into a small side alley. He felt a hand on his shoulder and a cold chill shot down his spine.

''what 'xactly do ya think yer doin' here mate?'' he asked, the threat in his tone frightfully obvious.

Jacob gulped and swallowed down his fear as he turned around to face his challenger; he noted the knife in the man's hand and guessed he knew how to use it.

''I thank we have an intruder here boys'' he called out.

Jacob's eyes widened as another half dozen men stepped into the alleyway drawing knives.

''what's in the bag Draven'' said one of the other men, nodding at the canvas bag containing the steel that Jacob was gripping uncertainly.

''let's find out, shall we?'' he asked evilly ''hand over the bag, runt''

''no'' was the simple reply from a calm and focused Jacob. Jacob's eyes were closed and he smiled serenely, the thieves had tried to rob the wrong person this time. Had the thieves known what Jacob was capable of and what was going to come next then they would have run out of the alleyway screaming like five-year old girls, unfortunately for these thieves, they had no idea.

**A/N: Heya guys, this chapter is finally up and I wanted to know if you guys want me to add in some rpg elements...**

**e.x. **

He panicked as he ran outside to deal with the wolves before they destroyed a probe. The probe floated away in alarm as the wolves jumped at it**(38 hp)**, their claws and teeth bouncing off the blue shield that flashed into visibility momentarily as they weakened from the repeated wolf attacks. Jacob took this all in as he ran to intercept the wolves before they damaged the probe. He dove into an attack as he called on the swordsmanship skills he had learned in his days in the castle. He sliced the forelegs off the first wolf **(3 hp)**and intercepted the second one mid-jump slicing its snout in half** (0 hp)**. He brought the blade down in the third wolfs back wedging it deep within the flesh **(0 hp)**. He pulled the blade out and sighed as he realized he'd won. He turned and saw the first wolf whimpering in pain and the second one dead. He stepped over and quickly slit the throat of the first wolf to end its misery **(0 hp)**.

**And of course, I'll include how much money he has too.**

**Muahahahaha, I'm learning how to do cliffhangars**

_**ADUN TORIDAS**_


	9. Chapter 9: Metal Mining

_Metal Mining_

He saw in his psionic vision the energy forms which indicated the presence of the seven thieves, and the two blue glowing balls floating in his palms, he held the psi-balls back from manifesting physically. Sighting his targets he finally allowed the psi-balls to manifest, launching them immediately and lunging forward as soon as they left his palms, his psi-blade lit and humming. He summersaulted over the first two thieves, Draven and one of his criminal accomplices, confident they would be take care of by the psi-balls he had launched a second ago. He landed on top of the third thief knocking him to the ground, he stabbed downwards instantly, severing his neck. He rolled and thrust upwards catching thief number four in the stomach sending him flying into the wall, his pierced abdomen leaking intestines all the way. He swung upwards taking off the arm of the fifth thief, which fell to the cobbles with a wet thump. Jacob sliced upwards deftly cutting off the scream of the one armed thief. He jumped backwards, surveying what was left. He noted the two thieves he'd struck with his psi-balls were lying on the ground, one of them with a large hole burned right through his leather chestplate. He advanced on the two remaining thieves with the fire of adrenalin dancing in his eyes. He dove forward, thrusting his psi-blade into the chest of one of the thieves still standing, the thief dropped dead as the energy blade burned through armour and flesh. Jacob withdrew and stood face to face against the final thief; he suddenly decapitated the thief and watched as the headless body collapsed where it stood. He sighed and peered at the carnage around him, the seven bodies that he'd gone up against and won.

He picked up the canvas and left the valley, looking for a way out of the castle and back to sanctuary. He arrived at the gates and hid out of sight. He looked up, gauging the time, yes, it should be about to happen. His guess was correct as the two sentries stepped away from the gate and Jacob slipped out before the replacements arrived. He slid back into the forest and headed straight for Sanctuary. He yelled out An'drax's name as soon as the crystal at the summit of the Nexus came into view.

''_Yes, Executor?'' _came the psionic reply from his scientist

Jacob headed for the cybernetics core. He strode into the middle, holding the canvas bag aloft ''I've obtained the steel you requested''

''_Good, I have identified the machinery and the proper mix of metals we require to create KhaSteel'' _

''okay, good'' Jacob handed the bag to An'drax as the Protoss stepped out of one of the labs. An'drax pointed across at one of the other labs.

''_This is the refinery''_ He indicated.

''So, you're going to melt down the steel there?''

''_That is correct, however before we can transmute it, we will have to locate other metals, thankfully these are common and you will not have to return to the castle to obtain them.''_

''how do I get them then?''

''_Instruct the probes to check a certain spot for ores and to mine them if there are ores available''_

''alright, what ores do we need?''

An'drax handed him a piece of paper and Jacob's eyes skimmed over the list, reading iron, tin, copper and the two that caught his eye, gold and silver.

''how much do we need?''

''_a hundred parts of iron, tin and copper and fifty of gold and silver to one part steel''_

Jacob's eyes widened ''where are we going to get that much metal?!''

''_Do not fret, this metal is common and the probes are sufficiently equipped to mine it and to ease this for you, I have given the probes the necessary information to be able to identify the correct ores''_

''So I take the probes out mining?''

''_Yes, have them scan the surrounding area outside of this valley for ore and instruct them to mine it if any is found''_ An'drax paused for a moment before adding _''If you come across quartz crystal or something of the sort, collect that as well''_

''alright'' Jacob signalled to the two probes to follow him and decided to check on his energy count **2500 energy** he grinned ''well we won't be running out of that for a while'' He strolled out of the valley, trailed by the two probes. He arrived at a small clearing underneath a large old oak tree and instructed the probes to scan ''this is a good a spot as any to begin'' he thought to himself. He sat down against the tree for a while as he watched the two probes pass their scanning arrays over the ground over and over again, searching for the required metals. Jacob looked up as one of the probes floated up to him and gave him a psionic image of the area the probe had just scanned. The probe identified the metal ore it had located as copper, Jacob instructed both probes to begin mining down as he watched them vaporize the dirt, quickly reaching stone. Then he received a psionic message from the probe that it had located a cave, Jacob jumped to his feet and told the probes to wait as he jumped down the tunnel and landed in the cave with a grunt, he looked around and identified the copper in the walls and allowed the probes to continue mining it. He moved further along, psi-ball in hand to light the way and occasionally hurling one ahead of himself. He identified some iron and marked it for the probes to mine. This went on for the better part of the afternoon as he collected all the ore from the cave as far as he dared go. He returned to the stockpile of ore and told the probes to collect it and to go up the tunnel they'd dug, he knelt on one of the probes as it carried him to the surface and they hurried back to sanctuary, night soon to fall.

Meanwhile, a man in an alley groaned as he opened his eyes and looked at the man lying next to him on the cobbled street. He noticed the hole burned through his dead comrade's chestplate. He got up and grimaced as he stretched, looking around him he realized no one but he had survived. He didn't look back as he melted into the shadows.

**A/N: Sorry for the late and small chapter but I have some things planned, the combat at the beginning was good, but was it a little _too_ gory?**

**Keep reviewing guys! If you don't like or have suggestions for the story then PM/review 'kay?**

**_ADUN TORIDAS_ **


	10. Chapter 10: Executor Execution

_Executor Execution_

Jacob looked at the mass of molten metal in the gold, blue bordered pot as it swirled around. He'd returned to Sanctuary in the early afternoon accompanied by the two probes, loaded with metal ore to the refinery in the cybernetics core after which An'drax had taken over. The metal had been melted down and the slag removed and An'drax had told him he'd collected just enough metal for one batch as well as the Nexus having mapped out Jacob's progress in the cave. Jacob returned to reality as An'drax nodded once and said

''_It is ready for transmutation''_ An'drax lifted the pot onto a repulsor plate and pushed it along with him as he took it across the building to the transmutation lab. The Protoss then ignited a bubble of energy around the pot and energy started to flow down from a valve in the ceiling and orbit around the bubble. An'drax nodded and said _''It will take nearly a full day and night to transmute''_

Jacob headed out of the cybernetics core and looked around for something to do.

_It is time you learn how to project an energy shield_

Jacob nodded once and headed into the forest to his clearing; he stopped in the middle and enjoyed the fresh air waiting for the instruction to begin.

_Divide your energy, allow one half to expand around you, do not release it however, with the other half condense it into a ball as you do for the psi-ball _

Jacob closed his eyes as usual and allowed the energy to flow according to the Khala's instructions.

_Now create a power feed from the smaller dense orb of power to the bubble around you_

Jacob allowed a thin wire of energy to connect the two.

_This will slowly recharge the shield if it weakens but will take some training to be able to sustain the power feed subconsciously_

Jacob spent the next several afternoon hours on his shield.

Meanwhile a shabbily dressed figure stole through the woods picking away at his teeth with a blunt dagger as he observed silently, his experience helping him in this regard. He saw the boy traipsing through the woods and ground his teeth together in anger and recognition, then yelped as the heavy bladed weapon he was chewing on cut his tongue. He swore revenge silently and headed back, remembering to note the location of the camp.

Jacob had mastered the shield and was confident in his abilities in combat. He arrived at sanctuary just in time to hear An'drax shout _''SUCCESS!''_

''ouch, what is it An'drax?'' replied Jacob wincing as he massaged his ear.

''_I have succeeded in my experiment but before I can deem it worthy I must test it"_

''On me then?''

''_No, you are far too valuable Executor''_

He smiled at the thought then asked ''who can we test it on then?''

''_It must be a willing person if you wish to succeed''_

"Where can I find-'' his eyes lit up ''it can be someone who's made enemies with the lord!''

''_You must find such a person quickly then''_

Jacob nodded and headed towards the castle, confident in introducing the newcomer to the Protoss. He wandered around the tree line close to the castle gates, watching for the chance to get in when he heard cursing coming from inside the gate and watched as four guards dragged two other guards in shackles into the woods. Jacob's eyes widened as he recognized the two guards he'd bribed. He had taken a liking to them and as he watched it became apparent that they were going to execute them. The two guards were forced to their knees as blades were drawn. Jacob had already closed his eyes and had two psi-balls rotating in his palms, he aimed and released at the two executioner guards who had raised their swords. Jacob lunged forwards as the two guards fell back screaming he managed to stab a guard in the chest as the two prisoners stood up and overpowered the last guard. Jacob nodded to the two guards who followed him into the forest, he headed a little deeper in before turning around.

''do you recognize me?''

The guards looked at each other ''you're the one who gave us the steak, what do you want?'' their eyes widened as Jacob lit his psi-blade ''and please don't kill us'' they added quickly.

Jacob grinned ''don't worry, I've taken a liking to you''

They sighed in relief then followed by a gasp of awe and fear as Jacob sliced through their solid iron shackles without the slightest effort. ''follow me if you want to live'' he stated before he turned around and set off into the forest. The guards looked at each other and shrugged, running after the boy who had so effortlessly slain three guards and freed them. Jacob arrived at the trees just outside Sanctuary and turned around, nodding to himself as he saw the guards approaching, he held up a hand to stop the guards. ''This is the final threshold, you must vow your allegiance to me if you wish to continue''

They looked at each other as a silent conversation took place between them and they nodded finally ''we pledge our allegiance to you for you saved our lives''

''very well, I am addressed by Executor''

The guards smiled and stood up and followed Jacob into Sanctuary, immediately their mouths dropped open and they stared confused at everything. The photon cannon immediately rotated to target the guards before Jacob accessed it and listed the guards as allies. The guards looked around in confusion and a jumble of words flowed out of their mouths as soon as they regained the ability to speak. Jacob smiled and simply said ''all in good time''. He also told them to wait there as he headed to the cybernetics core and had a chat with An'drax. He decided the guards were one frightening revelation from turning tail and running, vow or no vow.

**A/N: Yes, I know, I know, I kept you guys waiting but the ROU (rate of upload) is going to slow down from now on. I hope you guys liked this chapter.**

**Keep reviewing!**

_**ADUN TORIDAS**_


	11. Chapter 11: Zealous Zealots

_Zealous Zealots_

Jacob headed back to the guards and nodded reassuringly before leading them towards the cybernetics core ''your journeys will begin here''

He led them into the middle of the room and began

''The Protoss are an alien race from another world far across the stars with technology and culture that far surpasses our own'' he gestured with a hand for An'drax to step out of the lab. ''This is one of the Protoss and a'' he coughed ''the only member of my empire'' he smiled at the guards ''until you pledged your allegiances, now I must know, do you have the utmost trust in me?''

''yes we do'' they replied firmly after the studying the alien for a moment

''_welcome humans, this is Sanctuary_''

The guard recoiled in fear and looked around warily searching for the source of the voice in their heads. They looked at Jacob, wide-eyed ''did you hear that? Or are we going insane?''

''Protoss also have the capacity for telepathy, mind to mind conversation'' Jacob licked his lips nervously and proceeded cautiously ''we've uncovered a possibility…'' he gestured at An'drax to continue.

''_We have discovered an operation that would be able to convert a human body into a Protoss body''_

The guards' gasps of alarm were audible.

''_of course, this would also come with the benefits: stronger musculature, combat prowess and psionic abilities such as telepathy. The downside is this is the first time I am to perform this conversion, it is a test and if it fails the consequences are unknown''_

The guards went into a heated private discussion about this frightening but exhilarating possibility, for the first time Jacob noticed they had the same blonde buzz cut, the same smooth cheekbones and the same sky blue eyes. Jacob realized they were twins he jumped and looked away as the siblings looked up and caught Jacob watching. They soon came to a decision as they stood up and bluntly stated ''do the conversion''

An'drax nodded and beckoned them into one of the labs. Jacob stretched and decided he would wait for a report from the weapon-smith turned scientist. He wandered into the transmutation chamber at looked at the large block of golden metal, what had An'drax called it? KhaSteel, that was it. He stepped closer to the alien metal and passed his hand over the smooth surface as he imagined all the possibilities this metal could turn into realities.

Draven tried again ''the boy is gathering power your majesty; he slew six of my men alone! Soon he may attempt to challenge your power and dominion over this land'' This was the third time the thief had tried to get Arex to attempt to locate and contain the boy who had escaped and even after his two previous failures to rile up the lord, he'd felt Arex caving in to his demand.

''alright'' the lord replied heavily ''but you're leaving the castle to find him with twenty men'' The thief leader ground his teeth in frustration, this was not going at all like he had intended but he had no choice but to agree.

''confirmed then, I'll leave tonight''

He left the chamber and grinned; imagining his revenge on the boy who'd made a fool of him and headed to the barracks to armour up.

Jacob stepped back into the lab to check on An'drax's progress and saw An'drax sifting through input on a holographic display while two man-sized tanks attached to the wall full of liquid slowly converted the guards, their armour and clothes lying on the analysis table in the lab. Suddenly, the photon cannon told him that an intruder had been detected and dealt with; he rushed outside to see what this was and sighed in relief at the sight of a wolf with a hole burned through the side of its skull. Jacob sulked for a few minutes with nothing to do before deciding to head to the Nexus for a shower and a nap. He relaxed into the soft sheets of his bed after the luxurious shower and immediately dropped off, his ordeal with the thieves having drained him more than he'd thought.

In the lab, An'drax nodded once as he looked at the display, _''fast conversion, much faster than expected but complete'' _he let the fluid drain out of the tubes and looked at the two Protoss bodies standing in them, eyes closed. An'drax watched in perfect silence as their eyes flickered open in perfect unison and they both projected at once _''the transformation is complete'' _then their eyes twinkled in amazement and excitement _''this is amazing! We feel… more powerful'' _one of them looked at his arm _''much more powerful'' _

An'drax sent out a psionic message to wake and summon Jacob and waited there as the Executor calmly walked in. Jacob's first thought was that the Protoss didn't have mouths but their musculature was much more advanced, in layman's terms, they were beefy. He then noticed their digitigrade legs and theorized that they could run very quickly when they wanted to.

An'drax looked over the holographic screen's input, nodded once and spoke _''I believe the conversion process is successful''_

Jacob smiled in agreement as he beckoned the two Protoss over and said ''we will need names for you two''

''_Tul'nax''_

''_Tur'nax" _

Their names were their simultaneous replies. Jacob led them outside and told them to wait there as he stepped back into the cybernetics core and found An'drax panicking.

''what is it?'' he asked hurriedly

''_I had developed a new machine that I referred to as an ''observer'' it is a floating spy; I dared not send it in to the castle for several arrows from the castle archers will bring down the fragile machine. However, as a sentry I posted it near the tree line''_

''So, you didn't tell me about it?''

''_It was still in development''_

''Alright, so why are you worried?''

''_The observer has seen a party of twenty soldiers led by another higher ranking one heading into the forest, it would appear their purpose it to locate and kill you''_

''hmm, how long until they find us?''

"_considering they do not know your precise location, perhaps tomorrow morning''_

Jacob rubbed his chin thoughtfully and then added ''do you have any psi-blades?''

''_Yes, I have completed four, they are in the forge''_

Jacob smiled again, this one however never reached his eyes ''we will defeat them and kill every last one if it is necessary'' He headed outside with the Protoss trailing after him and he headed for the forest, collecting the psi-blades on the way there, his face set with a new determination. He trained long into the evening with the Protoss in the clearing as they sparred against each other slowly mastering the psi-blade as well as projecting shields however neither of them could use psi-ball, Jacob shrugged this off as a skill only he could perform. He headed back to Sanctuary with the two Protoss in tow, this time with them having a psi-blade projector attached to each wrist. Jacob turned around and said ''I am proud of your success, both of you have earned the title of Zealot, serve your Executor well!'' he cheered and led them into the middle of the camp ''rest you two, for we have a battle tomorrow for our safety'' he added in quieter tones before he left himself to take a well-deserved good night's sleep.

**A/N: Heya guys! battle looms over the horizon and you guys will simply have to wait, I've made the numbers as fair as possible, 20 men-at-arms vs. Tul'nax, Tur'nax, Jacob and An'drax**

**I think I'm getting better at this cliffhanger thing**

**We have 2500 views :)**

**Review Please**

_**ADUN TORIDAS**_


	12. Chapter 12: Deadly Dawn

_Deadly Dawn_

The Executor's eyes snapped open as he woke from his deep restful sleep and stretched. He yawned, jumping out of bed and gazed at the sunrise outside. He took his psi-blade off his night table and fitted it to his wrist; he took a deep breath as he passed a finger over the intricate carvings and patterns on the surface of the deadly weapon. He closed his eyes, paused for a moment, and then opened them again with a deep determined set to his face. He walked out of the Nexus and turned to see his Zealots out on the grass, quietly meditating. Jacob looked up at the warm sun and sat down beside them joining them in their focus. He stood up and stretched as he headed into the clearing, leading the Zealots with him to get as much practice as they could manage before the encounter and ensuing bloodshed. The yells echoed through the forest as they began to spar against each other.

* * *

Draven led his men clomping through the forest, men taking their restlessness out on the trees, scarring them deeply with the edges of their swords. The sergeant/thief turned sharply on his heels and hissed ''we're supposed to be sneaking around! Not letting everyone know we're coming 20 minutes before we're there''

Suddenly everyone went quiet as Draven looked up, and they heard what he'd heard too, a distant series of defiant yells punctuated by shouts of encouragement. Draven smiled ''they're nearby, we'll have to find them soon'' he headed in the direction of the distant sounds drawing his sword with a shrill shriiing_. _He advanced forwards until he could hearing the sounds of sparring and yelling as he hid in the trees, he motioned at his men to stay down as he snuck forward to peek through the trees into the clearing where he saw two large, animals? Fighting with bright blue blades against the young boy that the lord had been fretting about. ''might as well attack by surprise while I can'' he called his men to him and explained his plan, the men spread out to carry out the plan.

* * *

Jacob stopped suddenly, his sixth sense buzzing. He paused as he allowed his energy to spread over the area, checking for energy signatures, he almost cried out as he detected twenty men surrounding the clearing and hiding in the trees. However, they had left a single gap that Jacob now spotted, he took a deep breath attempting something he had witnessed many times but never actually done _''the enemy is here and they have surrounded the clearing, however all is not lost, there is a small gap on the west side, slip through and hide among the trees picking off enemy soldiers as possible'' _He sighed in relief as the Zealots nodded their understanding of his plan and headed off into the trees, splitting up as they went, Jacob himself scampered up a tree deeper in the forest. He closed his eyes and pushed the fear and panic out of his mind as he focused his psionic energy into his hands and sighted his targets; he released the psi-balls and instantly began to prepare the second set. In his mind he saw the energy signatures of the enemy soldiers shift red and the Zealots stay blue. Jacob smiled and projected this into the minds of his Zealots, allowing them to be able to see their enemies clearly. Jacob released his second set and saw two more energy signatures fall and join the first two he'd struck down minutes ago. He dropped from the tree right behind an unsuspecting soldier and drove his already lit psi-blade into the man's back. Jacob withdrew the blade and headed off towards his Zealots in search of other soldiers attempting to destroy his newfound home. Jacob came upon the 15 living soldiers standing inside the clearing, holding his chained parents in the center of the circle.

''Kill any more of us and we'll kill them! If you come peacefully along with your fighting pets'' he paused ''we may not kill them!"

Jacob's eyes glowed a blinding blue as his rage took control of his mind and electricity arced between his fingers before he managed to calm himself and forced the electricity to fade away. He called the Zealots psionically and instructed them to position themselves behind the group and to stage a surprise attack to distract the group. Jacob listened quietly as he heard the Zealots charge in and he charged in himself, releasing his psi-balls at the two soldiers holding their swords against his parent's necks and charged into the group of soldiers. Everything descended into a chaos of whirling steel and flashing energy as soldiers screamed and fell to the ground, dead or holding a stump where a limb had been attached a few seconds ago. Jacob reacted quickly as he came up against a soldier. He stabbed upwards, cutting through the chainmail as if it were paper and instantly killing the soldier. He whirled to meet the next one, quickly taking off his sword arm and cutting a sizable chunk out of his face, dropping his second kill in twice as many seconds. He stepped further forward and deftly stabbed the next soldier in the chest then stepped past him to square up to the next man, all around him; he could hear the screams and sense the energy signatures fading of the dying soldiers. He came back to reality just in time to parry the soldier's first stroke and watched as half the blade fell off, leaving a steel stump with a molten edge where it had touched Jacob's blade. The soldier stared numbly at his useless weapon, Jacob sighed ''I can't kill and unarmed opponent'' He then proceeded to overload the soldier's mind with psionic energy, quickly rendering him unconscious. He stepped over the soldier and punched the next one in the face, as the soldier staggered backwards, blood streaming from his nose, Jacob loosed off a psi-ball that burned through armour, flesh, and muscles and left a decent sized hole where the man's heart had once been. Jacob stepped over his kill and lunged at the next soldier in his way pushing his blade through the man's stomach and left him on the ground, more interested in keeping his insides, inside him instead of fighting. Jacob took a recount of the enemy soldiers, 10 were dead, one unconscious and 8 still fighting. Wait. He recounted the math in his head, An'drax had said twenty men, where was the twentieth? He saw the man he recognised as the squadron's sergeant running off, dragging his chained parents with him. Jacob growled in anger, but could do nothing to follow because they were already within castle archer range. He turned back to the fight and started slaying soldiers with renewed energy, He cut, slashed, stabbed, jabbed, rolled, whirled and executed every other swordsmanship move he'd ever been taught and some he'd never even heard of, he could feel the Khala slightly nudging him here and there to make his attacks more fluid as well as helping him perform Protoss combat actions. He slew five more men before he stepped back to review the carnage at his feet. The grass had turned red and was slick with blood, there were 15 dead bodies lying in the clearing, missing various limbs. Jacob watched as his Zealots each smoothly decapitated the soldier they were fighting and turned to face the last remaining soldier. The soldier, shaking in fear of the ease his comrades had been dispatched with, squeaked in alarm and ran off. ''Leave him, we've won'' he said firmly. He looked over at the blood soaked grass and the bodies in the clearing and reflected in a sad voice ''so many wasted lives, and for what? To calm the nerves of a greedy old man'' the steel in his voice was obvious anyone who heard him couldn't help but believe he would one day have his revenge.

**A/N: Yeesh, that took a while, but i enjoyed writing the gory parts :D I hope the extra 300 words will encourage you guys to forgive me for being a day late. Of course, the story advances...**

**Keep Reviewing!**

_**ADUN TORIDAS**_


	13. Chapter 13: Swarm's Start

_Swarm's Start_

Jacob stretched and relaxed as he went down to the base of the Nexus, having just have come up to have a shower. ''alright, we won a battle, that counts for something. Now we need to decisively take over the castle, any ideas?'' He said as he assembled An'drax, Tur'nax and Tul'nax in the cybernetics core

''_It is possible but we will require something to counter the archers, our zealots are simply not sufficient, the losses in attacking against the archers will be simply unacceptable''_

''hmm, then I'll go and try to find more recruits while you work on a solution'' He got up and gestured at the Zealots to follow him as he headed to the castle walls to look for recruits. Later in the forest, just inside the tree line they watched the gates for the opportune moment and smiled, or well, Jacob smiled as a group of bedraggled men trudged out of the gates, dragging their clinking chains behind them. They were followed by six guards all carrying two axes as well as their standard equipment. They headed deeper into the forest about 60 metres to Jacob's right, Jacob grinned ''let's move'' he snuck into the forest, followed by the two loyal warriors the only trace of their presence left, several disturbed leaves. Jacob flitted between the trees, headed for the lumber gang, he was soon in range and could sense the multiple energy forms, and he shifted the guards' energy signatures to red and projected them in the minds of the zealots. Jacob calmed himself, pushing emotions aside and manifesting dual psi-balls; he launched the balls at two of the guards and watched the energy forms crumple as he lunged forwards, igniting his psi-blades as he slipped past the last several trees and jumped at the guards, three more had already fallen to the twin zealots and the fourth fell, his insides trailing out as Jacob cut his stomach open. He looked at the dozen lumber workers cowering on the ground; he then raised his psi-blades and proceeded to slice through the chains like a hot knife through butter. ''get up and follow me for your freedom'' Jacob ran off towards Sanctuary, the zealots accompanying him. The lumber workers scrambled up and ran after the young Executor until they reached sanctuary. ''An'drax! Introduce these recruits and explain to them their options'' Jacob paced off after instructing the lumber workers to go to the cybernetics core.

In the cybernetics core, An'drax ordered them all to sit on the floor, the lumber workers, however stood there gaping at the Protoss engineer.

''_Welcome, the Executor has instructed me to introduce you. We are the Protoss, an alien people with much more advanced technology''_

One of the lumber workers, a girl who could not have been older than 7 looked at An'drax with awe, the guarded expressions of the adults' non-existent on her young face. ''You came from the stars didn't you?''.

An'drax paused momentarily, not expecting the question, and decided to amplify the child's sense of security. He **literally** amplified it by taking the sense of security projected by the child, shocked at the power of the projection and amplified, projecting it back into the room. An'drax watched the men and women relax slightly.

He continued _''you have three options, return to the castle, fight for the Executor or be released into the forest.''_

''wait, 'ow are yew speakin' inta ar minds like tha'?'' asked one of the men in a deep accent

''_I do not have a mouth like your people do, however in exchange for this, I can project my thoughts into the minds of those around me.'' _he paused and then decided to continue _''If you decide to fight for the executor, you will be given this ability, however… the details will be explained further if you choose this option. You will be given one hour to discuss and decide, after this, you will have to make your decision''_

An'drax walked out of the cybernetics core and straight to the Nexus, he flew up the several floors and paused in front of the grand golden doors that lead to Jacob's quarters. He sent in a mental message _''Executor, may I speak to you?'' _He got his reply several seconds later ''yes, yes, come in''. Jacob sat up as An'drax entered the room ''yes? You wanted to speak to me?''

''_Indeed, it would seem that the one child in the group has supernatural psionic potential''_

''meaning?''

''_She could be trained to become a High Templar''_

''a Templar?''

''_Correct, she could be trained to master her proficiency and hold the rank of High Templar''_

''hmm, alright, if it's possible''

''_I also have something else to present to you''_

''where is it?''

''_In the forge''_

''let's go then''

The both stepped out the door and dropped to the base of the Nexus and strolled out, heading for the forge and the mysterious project that An'drax had completed. The gilded doors slid open with a barely audible hiss as An'drax stepped in and gestured for the Executor to follow. The Protoss engineer pointed at a golden, four-legged, spider-like machine.

''_I call it a dragoon, it is meant to be a counter to the castle archers. A Zealot can be retrained to use these for better mobility and range, trading general durability and efficiency of weaponry.''_

''Hmm, good idea! See if you can have one of the twins pilot a dragoon and the other remain a Zealot''

''_Understood, however Executor, I believe I should bring to your attention the fact that a lot of energy, materials and time.''_

''You have full access to the transmutation lab, the probes and the Nexus energy crystals, that should be sufficient for your purposes''

SPLAT! The small squidlike sac exploded against the ground, launching a grey substance outwards in a small radius and leaving a small creature on the ground. It had little buggy eyes and seemed to levitate slightly off the ground; it had manta ray-like wings and crab-like pincers. It chittered quietly as it studied its wooded surroundings. It decided this was a good a place as any, settled closer to the ground and melted into a small fleshy, pulsing bubble with the creature swimming inside as it deconstructed it's body and surrendered the genetic material to the bubble. The Swarm had arrived and this could not be good.

**A/N: Yes, yes, I know it's been ages, but everything in my life has been a bit willy-nilly. Finally it's settled down enough to allow me to write again. THIS STORY IS NOT DEAD! I promised you guys I would finish it, and I will. I hope.**

**Let the PM's and Reviews roll in. We're at 4000 views ;D**

**The plot advances, Muahahahahahahah**

_**ADUN TORIDAS**_


	14. Chapter 14: Welcome Warriors

_Welcome Warriors_

An'drax and the young Executor headed back to the cybernetics core to hear the decision of the lumber gang. The large gold-blue doors slid open, allowing entry to the young boy and the tall Protoss. They arrived at the lab where the lumber workers had remained while they made their decision.

''_have you decided on your course of action?''_

''yeah, we've desah-ded tah haelp yew, cauz yew haelped uz ezcape''

''_alright then, all of you follow me to the lab.''_

The lumber workers got up and followed An'drax to the lab where the conversion tanks were housed, after An'drax had set up the tanks to begin converting two of them, he headed to the smeltery lab, where he had a lot of transmuting to do. He sent the probes to continue the mine and gather the necessary metals for transmutation. Jacob, seeing that there wasn't much to do for him, decided to go into the forest and practice in his clearing. He practiced the afternoon away, hand-to-hand, psionic and every other combat form he could think off. Soon night began to fall and he headed back to sanctuary seeing 3 probes carrying minerals along the way. He arrived at Sanctuary and heard the hum from the forge which indicated it was working as well as the cybernetics core. An'drax, sensing Jacob's presence, stepped out of the forge to meet him.

''what have you accomplished?''

''_I have transmuted the majority of the required metal and have created 5 sets of Zealot armour and 2 dragoons. 12 of the recruits have been converted and the one child remains in the conversion tanks"_

''good, good. You've done well, continue.'' Jacob went into the Nexus and straight up to bed to sleep off his exhaustion.

* * *

The pulsing bubble finally erupted, launching the biological matter outwards and revealing what looked like a biological structure inside. The structure stood tall, at the top it had an opening bordered with large teeth and it seemed to be breathing. The rest of the structure stretched outwards at five different points, each ending with an opening that connected to the biological matter on the ground and was attached to a large fang, the height of a man. The hatchery was complete. The gray matter started creeping forwards; slowly absorbing the plants in its way, a squirrel even got caught underneath it and squirmed about for a few seconds before falling still, its body dissolved and the nutrients absorbed for the good of the swarm.

Draven stepped out of the gates and took a breath of fresh air, then started walking along the wall of the castle until he was behind it. He then headed for his treasure trove, a small cave he'd found while hiding around the forest. Along the way, he paused as he saw a weird grey matter seeping along the ground. He crept closer to the alien

material ''now what's this?'' he arrived at the hatchery ''my lord'' he breathed. His mind suddenly overloaded with information and he blacked out.

* * *

Jacob woke up and jumped out of bed, eager to see what An'drax had accomplished, when he looked out the window he saw sunlight seeping over the horizon, day light just appearing. He dropped down the floors of the Nexus and immediately headed for the forge, as he arrived he saw An'drax step out and Jacob jogged to meet him

''An'drax? What have you accomplished?''

''_I have completed all of the recruit conversions and the zealot armour and dragoons''_

''how many of each do we have?''

''_there are 8 suits of Zealot armour and 4 dragoon combat walkers''_

''Well done An'drax'' Jacob paused as the Protoss engineer shut his eyes tightly and reopened them; he had also noticed An'drax's sluggish movement.

''you haven't rested, have you? Go rest''

''_I am capable of continuing to serve you Executor''_

''at this rate, you won't be capable for long, as you Executor I command you to rest yourself!''

"_very well Executor"_

"use my chambers"

"_understood"_

Jacob continued for the cybernetics core, where Tul'nax and Tur'nax were watching the recruits. The doors to the cybernetics core slid open allowing Jacob to go to the lab they were in. The lab doors opened to reveal the twins standing guard on opposite ends of the room with the newly converted Protoss seated in the middle.

''Stand'' said Jacob, using his best Executor voice.

The recruits slowly stood up.

''follow me'' and he promptly turned around and headed for the lab where the armour was stored, the recruits stopped just inside the door and gazed at the blue gilded, gleaming sets of golden armour floating in the antigrav columns as well as 4 golden four-legged spider-like walkers in the corner of the lab.

''alright, you have all chosen to serve me, correct?"

"_Yes, Executor"_

''then you will have to choose how you shall fight, I can allow 8 Zealots and 4 dragoons''

''_what are the differences Executor?''_

''Zealots fight melee, much like wielding dual swords. Dragoons on the other hand are more fragile and less damaging but much more mobile as well as possessing a ranged attack"

The recruits all quietly considered their options and one stepped forwards and spoke confidently _"I choose the way of the Zealot"_

"very well warrior" Jacob led him to one of the antigrav columns and quietly whispered in a code, the shield around it powered down as the recruit carefully took the expertly crafted armour and suited himself. He lit the dual psi-blades, glanced at them in satisfaction and extinguished them. The rest of the recruits started dividing up the roles between them and soon they were all standing there in golden armour or seated inside their dragoons when Jacob noticed an unarmoured recruit, as he stepped towards her, the doors slid open and in stepped An'drax, Tul'nax in full battle armour and a larger, more guilded dragoon walker.

"what's this?"

"we have decided Executor that I shall lead the Zealots and my brother" he gestured at the gilded dragoon walker "shall lead the dragoons" said Tul'nax

Jacob pondered over it for a second then nodded his approval "very good idea, but after doing the math I can see that you would have one extra suit of Zealot armour, what do you intend to do with that?"

"_I will convert it to a suit of High Templar armour"_

"It seems you've thought of everything" Jacob grinned "but what rank are these leaders going to hold?"

"_We have decided that 'Judicator' is a fitting title"_

"very well then"

They split off, Jacob to rest, Tul'nax to train his zealots, Tur'nax to train his dragoons and An'drax to begin modifying the zealot armour to fit a High Templar.

* * *

Draven woke up slowly, then groaned and dropped back down, holding his head. He grunted in pain as he managed to stand. He looked around and saw the biological structure still there. His mind suddenly filled with one word _"Hatchery" _"So this is a hatchery then?" He said, pronouncing the new word carefully. _"welcome, cerebrate, that shall be your title. You must learn the ways of the swarm" _The hatchery then showed him a mental image of a drone. _"this is the basic worker unit of the swarm, known as a drone" _Draven, clearly fascinated with his find, decided to continue onwards "what can I do with the swarm?" _"you can fulfill your wildest dreams" _the hatchery continued. Draven smiled "I'm going to like this"

* * *

**A/N: Hey guys! this chapter's early ;D and I added in an extra 250 words to flesh it out a bit. **

**If you guys want a way to remember:**

**Tul'nax is the Zealot Judicator and Tur'nax is the Dragoon Judicator**

**We're at 5000 views :DDDDD**

**Keep reviewing! I'm missing people reviewing :,(**

_**ADUN TORIDAS**_


	15. Chapter 15: Viral Variety

_Viral Variety_

Jacob looked at his army with pride, the 8 zealots standing in two ranks of four with Tul'nax in front and the 4 dragoons standing in two ranks of two with Tur'nax in front. He had a sizable force now and realized he was almost ready to attack the castle.

* * *

Draven looked over his small Zerg base and smiled coldly, he had several drones already collecting creep and returning it to the hatchery. He'd already been taught about the basic Zerg warrior strain: the Zergling, and he'd watched in fascination as a drone had sacrificed itself to melt into a large pulsing bubble and finally erupted into a fleshy basin full of a thick green liquid that Draven had immediately decided he would not touch. After this, he'd observed the thick caterpillar like creatures at the base of the hatchery, that were called larva he now knew, crawl into the pool, crawl back out and turn into green cocoons, eventually spawning forth a pair of small doglike vicious creatures. He now had two dozen of these creatures scampering around the hatchery. Draven grinned as he realized he was close to being able to seize the castle for himself, he decided he'd try.

At the castle walls, he called over 6 zerglings over with his mind and commanded them to attack the gates. He watched as the creatures slunk around the castle and attacked the main gates. As the zerglings left his sight, he psionically merged his sight with one of the zerglings to be able to watch from a safe distance. His face fell as he watched the zerglings begin to claw at the gates and the castle archers, noticing them, began to fire soon impaling all 6 zergling carcasses to the ground with a multitude of arrows. Draven sighed "It's going to take many more zerglings than I had previously thought to successfully invade the castle and perhaps something to counter the archers" he wandered back towards the hatchery"

* * *

Jacob frowned as he considered the problem that lay before him; he'd been taken into the forest to training clearing where 10 crystals had been set up in small cluster pattern, he'd been notified by An'drax that to create new pylons, they had to infuse these crystals with enough psionic energy so that they would be sufficiently potent to generate psionic energy. Since the attack on Aiur, these "Khaydarin" crystals were unobtainable by conventional methods and now this was what they had to depend on, Jacob's psionic power. Jacob focused on a crystal and gathered his psionic energy and split it into two parts, a tiny sliver and a large lump. He mentally pushed the lump at one of the crystals and nearly collapsed as nine tenths of his mental energy left his body. He blinked at stared at the lump of psionic energy floating in the air between him and the crystal.

_Weave, young Executor, weave_

He blinked again; the Khala hadn't spoken to him in several days now, but he took the lump of energy and began to separate little bits and weave through the fibers of the crystal that he could sense. He ran out about a quarter of the way. He sighed ''this is going to take a while''

* * *

Draven looked at his hatchery as the bulbous mass of pulsing flesh exploded outwards, revealing what looked like a bigger hatchery with larger spikes on the ends. More ideas flooded into the dark overmind's brain as the lair accessed new strains of Zerg warriors form the swarm's databanks. Draven mentally sorted through the options and landed on the hydralisk. He smiled as he sorted through the details and realized this was the perfect counter to the castle archers, and some good ranged support for his zerglings. He immediately turned to the Lair and spoke "8 hydralisks, now" the larvae at the base of the lair squirmed for a few moments as the Lair responded

_We require a Hydralisk Den, Overmind_

''d'oh all right!" he sighed, "get one started now"

_I have been examining your view of the goal and have found a strain that may of aid_

"go on, speak up" he replied impatiently

_The Baneling is a Zerg strain that is used to take out massed infantry and break fortified defenses, It may serve to destroy the gates_

"can we make these?"

_A baneling nest is required, but is ready to begin if you accept the suggestion, Overmind_

"begin it then" he paused for a moment then added "and tell me when the Hydralisk Den is done"

* * *

Jacob gazed at the crystal in front of him and smiled, it had taken several hours to generate, gather and weave enough energy to fully permeate the crystal with psionic energy and could now officially call it a "Khaydarin crystal" He lifted the crystal and carried it back to sanctuary.

"An'drax!" he called out "I've made a crystal!"

"_Well done, Executor" _he gingerly took the crystal and went to the forge, where the distant rythmic clanging began.

Jacob walked back to the clearing and began work on his second Khaydarin crystal. He paused, struck with an idea, headed back to sanctuary and past the drilling warriors calling out to Tul'nax and Tur'nax as he passed. He stopped at the base of the Nexus and turned around.

"we're close. We are almost ready to invade the castle but before we do, I'm going to need as much information as I can get. So take the observer with you, split your forces into small groups and start reconnoitering the area around the castle, the observer should be able to link it all directly to the Warp Command Map Room"

"_Yes Executor!" _they turned around and marched off.

"_It is complete Executor" _Jacob turned to see An'drax step out of the forge, holding what looked like a dearmored version of a suit of Zealot armour. "what is that?" he asked, the curiosity evident in his voice.

"_The armour for the female Protoss with the psionic prowess, I suggest you train the female yourself"_

Jacob's thought were interrupted by a psionic message _"We've found something!"_

**A/N: Hey guys, yes late again, but it's a bit tougher writing from two totally different perspectives. whatever was found, well you'll find out next chapter :D**

**I'm getting better at these cliffhangars.**

**we're at 50 reviews! keep reviewing, character suggestions will be considered and added where possible, so submit if you have an idea, either by Review or PM.**

_**ADUN TORIDAS**_


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